How are students on the autism spectrum affected by bullying? Perspectives of students and parents

Abstract

Previous research has focused on the prevalence of bullying of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with little attention given to its emotional effect. This mixed methods study examined levels of worry about bullying and bullying experiences reported by students and parents. To determine whether some students with ASD are differentially affected, we explored associations between students’ characteristics (understanding of bullying, age and co‐morbid conditions) and their bullying experiences and worries. Surveys exploring bullying experiences and levels of worry about bullying were completed by 89 students with ASD without intellectual disability aged 11–16 years and their parents. We also qualitatively explored parents’ perceptions of how bullying affects their children, through semi‐structured interviews of nine parents. Students with comorbid anxiety disorders were more likely to report face‐to‐face victimization and were more troubled by both face‐to‐face bullying and cyberbullying, while students with depression were more likely to report cyber victimization. Parental concerns included the impact of victimization on school attendance, self‐esteem, mental health, social participation, academic performance, and behaviour. The significantly higher levels of worry about bullying and higher victimization rates reported by students with internalizing symptoms suggest that these students may be disproportionately at risk of psychological harm.

Peer Victimization

“…More recently, studies have also examined cybervictimization in those with ASD, finding similarly high rates as those found in more traditional types of peer victimization. Further, cybervictimization was associated with depression and anxiety (Ashburner et al 2019;Kowalski and Fedina 2011;Wright and Wachs 2019).…”

Creating Learning Environments Free of Violence in Special Education Through the Dialogic Model of Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts

“…It has been shown that students with disabilities are more likely to be victims and to have depressive symptoms due to this victimization ( Olivier et al, 2020 ). According to research with autistic students, they are highly concerned about the possibility of being victims and the reported rates of bullying suggest that they may be at disproportionate risk of psychological harm ( Ashburner et al, 2019 ; Gomes et al, 2020 ). When families in this study are asked about their concerns about the negative consequences of bullying on their children, the answers also include, among others, mental health issues, such as self-esteem, mental health, social participation, school attendance, academic performance, and behavior.…”

Responses to bullying among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Support needs and self‐determination

“…For individuals with and without IDD, experiences of bullying are related to a host of emotional problems, including anxiety, depression, low self‐esteem and aggressive behaviour (Adams, Fredstrom, Duncan, Holleb, & Bishop, ; Ashburner et al, ; Cappadocia, Weiss, & Pepler, ; Christensen, Fraynt, Neece, & Baker, ; Cook, Williams, Guerra, Kim, & Sadek, ; Hawker & Boulton, ; Masten et al, ; Schroeder, Cappadocia, Bebko, Pepler, & Weiss, ; Sebastian, Blakemore, & Charman, ; Singham et al, ; Sofronoff, Dark, & Stone, ; Storch et al, ; Swearer, Espelage, Vaillancourt, & Hymel, ; Zablotsky, Bradshaw, Anderson, & Law, ; Zeedyk, Rodriguez, Tipton, Baker, & Blacher, ). Youth with ASD are negatively impacted by bullying both in terms of their emotional and social well‐being (Ashburner et al, ; Humphrey & Symes, ; Zeedyk et al, ). Specifically, individuals with ASD who are bullied experience significantly more internalizing behaviour problems (e.g., depression, anxiety), poor social skills and more conflict with friends (Cappadocia et al, ; Zeedyk et al, ).…”